Taxonomic Position

Cohort Uropodina

    Subcohort Uropodiae

Superfamily Uropodoidea Kramer, Family Uropodidae Kramer s.l.

Urodinychidae Berlese

Uroobovella (Subgenera Uroobovella & Fuscuropoda)

Diagnostic characters:

• Tortoise-like uropodine mesostigmatans, usually oval in outline and encased in armor dorsally and ventrally

• Scabellum, pedofossae and metapodal line present

• Peritremes sinuous or bent; stigmata at level of coxae II-III

• Genital shield nude, with anterior median process present (subgenus Fuscuropoda) or absent (subgenus Uroobovella)

• Coxae I large, flattened, adjacent and covering tritosternum

• Chelicerae with sclerotized node, single tooth on movable digit, and membranous processes distally on fixed digit. 

Similar taxa.  The Uropodoidea is in need of revision and at this time it is difficult to separate the numerous described and undescribed taxa.

Ecology.  Species of Uroobovella are common, especially in compost or similar habitats such as worm beds.  Phoretic deutonymphs of these mites attached by a small anal pedicle.

References

Ainscough, BD.  1981.  Uropodine studies. I. Suprageneric classification in the cohort Uropodina Kramer, 1882 (Acari: Mesostigmata).  International Journal of Acarology 7:47-56.

Athias, F. 1976. Observations morphologiques sur Polyaspis patavinus Berlese 1881 (Acariens : Uropodides). 2. Morphologie et chètotaxie des appendices au cours du dèveloppement postembryonnaire. Acarologia 18 : 194-216.

Athias-Binche, F. and Bloszyk, J. 1988. Australian Uropodina (Acari : Anactinotrichida). I. Australocilliba gen. n. (Cillibidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 27: 1-8.

Athias-Binche, F. & Evans, GO.  1981.  Observations on the genus Protodinychus Evans, 1957 (Acari: Mesostigmata) with descriptions of the male and phoretic deuteronymph.  Proc. R. Ir. Acad. 81b: 25-36.

Bloszyk, J. and Halliday, R. B. 1995. A new species of Dinychus Kramer from Tasmania (Acarina: Dinychidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 34 : 187-191.

Evans EO and Till WM.  1979.  Mesostigmatic mites of Britain and Ireland (Chelicerata: Acari-Parasitiformes).  An introduction to their external morphology and classification.  Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 35 (2): 145-270.

Gilyarov MS & Bregatova NG (eds).  1977.  Handbook for the Identification of Soil-inhabiting Mites, Mesostigmata.  Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences: Petrograd [In Russian]

Johnson, DE.  1961.  A review of the lower uropodid mites (former Thinozerconoidea, Protodinychoidea and Trachytoidea) with notes on the classification of the Uropodina (Acarina).  Acarologia 3: 522-545.

Karg W.  1989.  Acari (Acarina), Milben Unterordnung Parasitiformes (Anactinotrichaeta) Uropodina Kramer, Schildkrötenmilben.  Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 67: 1-203.

Krantz, GW & Ainscough, B.  1990.  Mesostigmata.  pp. 583-665, in DL Dindal (ed) Soil Biology Guide.  John Wiley & Sons: Brisbane.

Wisniewski, J. and W. Hirschmann  1993.  Katalog der Ganggattungen, Untergattungen, Gruppen   und Arten die Uropodiden der Erde.  Gangsyst. Parasitiformes, Schriften. für vergleich.  Milbenkunde Folge 40: 466pp.  Hirschmann Verlag, Nürnberg.

Womersley H. 1959. A new species of Urodiscella (Acarina, Uropodidae) from Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum 13: 349-353.